Mal and The Excruciatingly Terrible Sixth Year
by LiliacSkies
Summary: Mal's sixth year at Hogwarts was meant to be normal, but instead she's found herself dragged into the Triwizard tournament whilst also having to deal with grades, enemies and love. If only she hadn't put her name in the Goblet... (Rating may become higher)
1. Prologue

_**6 Years Ago...**_

At the young age of 11, Mal had already experienced more death and decay than most people would in their whole lifetime.

It had all started when her father died. She was far too young to remember him, but her mother definitely wasn't. She was known as Maleficent, one of the smartest witches to have ever graced the magical world. However, at the passing of her husband, everything changed. She grew bitter and mean, using her powers for evil rather than good.

Mal was too young to know at the time, but her father had died at the hands of a muggle, and the Ministry of Magic had done everything in their power to cover it up. Of course, Maleficent had grown resentful over this, and so she created a force so powerful that even the most powerful wizard in the world could not defeat; the Resistance.

Maleficent gathered all the wretched and rotten wizards and witches, binding them together to create a new ministry: the Ministry of Villains. They terrorised both the magical world and the muggle world for years, Maleficent as their leader. However, it all ended on one faithful day.

A letter arrived on young Mal's birthday, a letter to the most prestigious magical school: Hogwarts. As soon as Maleficent has found the letter, she burnt it right in front of the little purple-haired girl, forbidding her to attend the school. She did so with the letter after that, and the next, and so forth.

It was just about a week before the school year began that the Resistance was stopped.

Banded together, a group of the most powerful wizards and witches managed to capture Maleficent, taking down the Ministry of Villains. Maleficent, along with her followers, were sentenced to live the rest of their lives in Azkaban, a prison hidden in the depths of a lost island.

That left Mal, an orphan, to fend for herself. Thankfully, one of the hero wizards found her, also bringing her a letter from Hogwarts.

However, young Mal wasn't the only child of an imprisoned villain. Three more kids were selected to study at Hogwarts as well, all of which had parents in the Resistance.

Evie was a bright young girl with incomparable beauty, but who came from a whole past of ugly. Her mother was known for her dreadful curses and potions, selling them to evil wizards to aid their poisonous plans. She was captured by Snow White, a young witch she'd tried to curse to take her beauty. This left Evie, also now a young orphan, to fend for herself in Hogwarts.

Jay was the son of Jafar, a wizard known to take other wizards power. A thief of sorts, who taught his son the same values he lived by. Jay was a sports fanatic who really had no interest in stealing, however like most kids, he followed in his father's footsteps.

Lastly was Carlos, son to the one and only Cruella De Vil. She hunted magical creatures for pleasure, taking their fur and creating pieces of clothing for her own vanity. Rumour has it that she even drank the blood of a unicorn, and sold what was left to those who sought it. She was too imprisoned, Carlos left with his aunt and uncle, both professors at Hogwarts.

The four were different in many ways, but also alike. Each valued different things, but they also sought for love and acceptance.

Their first day in Hogwarts wasn't the greatest. Mal could feel the piercing stares of her soon-to-be classmates. She knew what they thought of her and her mother. However, 11 year old Mal was tougher than most people, and so she boarded the Hogwarts express with her nose held high, taking great pleasure in tripping up a third year on her way to a compartment.

Mal may not have been her mother, but she was definitely raised by her. She was as hard and as strong as stone, and she was determined to follow in her mothers footsteps. Of course, voicing that out loud would result in her immediate expulsion most probably, so she kept her schemes to herself.

The door of her lonely compartment slid open. A boy she'd never seen before peered in, with sandy blonde hair and bright blue eyes that could melt the coldest of hearts.

"Hi, do you mind if I sit with you? The other carriages are full," the blonde boy explained, a dashing smile on his face.

Mal looked up for a moment, shrugging with disinterest and turning to look out of the window. She didn't tend to interact with many children of her age, save for the few she'd met during her mothers time in the Resistance, so she really hoped the blonde boy didn't try to strike a conversation.

On the train platform, she could see numerous parents waving their children away tearfully, some even refusing to let go of their child during their last hug. Mal didn't really see the big deal in it all, however she hadn't really had the warmest of mothers. She knew it would be a long while before she saw her mother again, but she tried not to think about it too much.

Mal felt the train start up below her, the platform slowly moving away from her until they were out of the train station and onto the main rails. Mal sighed, leaning back into her seat. She knew it would be a rather long journey, but she didn't know if she'd like what she was travelling to.

"I'm Ben, by the way," the boy across from her smiled, holding his hand out, "And you are?"

Mal frowned at the hand. She didn't tend to shake peoples hands, never had really. Her mother had kept her rather sheltered for most of her life, allowing her to study only what she was given and unable to interact with most people. Hesitantly, Mal grasped the boys hand in hers.

"Mal," she replied as she let go of the hand, turning to stare back out at the landscape.

"Your hands are really cold. Are you nervous?" Ben asked, desperately trying to strike a conversation with the purple-haired girl, "I really don't know what house I'll be put in. My father said I'd be in Gryffindor, but my mother was in Ravenclaw so I'm not so sure anymore."

"What's a Gryffindor?" Mal asked in confusion, scrunching her nose up.

"It's one of the Hogwarts houses," Ben explained, excitement in his eyes, "Hogwarts students are split into four different houses based on their personalities and what they value. Theres Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin."

"I think I've heard about Slytherin," Mal commented, "I think my mother used to be one."

And so, the pair chatted the journey away, truly believing they'd made friends with each other. However, that all changed during the sorting ceremony, where their friendship ended in ruins.

"Gryffindor!" the Sorting Hat cried with glee as Ben felt a grin plaster onto his face. He'd heard all about the other houses, and he was certain that Slytherin was evil. He just hoped that his new friend wouldn't be.

"Next is Mal... Maleficent?" the Charms teacher read out as she peered at the odd name on the scroll.

The room fell silent, a few gasps audible from the younger students and the staff. Mal rolled her eyes, proceeding to step towards the Sorting Hat. She flinched as she felt it's weight on her head, her hands tense as it began speaking.

"Ah! Maleficent's daughter!" the hat exclaimed, "Funny that, your mother naming you after herself twice. Now, let's see...

"Definitely brave at heart, a true Gryffindor quality. But you're also loyal to your mother, somewhat like a Hufflepuff. And that brain... You have knowledge far beyond your years. But you're cunning, you're sly and ambitious, so I guess there's only one place to put you... _Slytherin_!"

Ben felt his heart sink as he watched his new friend make her way to the green table. No one clapped for her like they did for him, and that made him sad. He really hoped there'd been a mistake, that she wasn't really evil and that they could stay friends forever.

If only young Ben had known the path that lay ahead of him.


	2. 1: The First Day

**_The Present Day..._**

Mal hated the first day of school. She despised having to get up bright and early after a summer filled with lazy mornings and evenings, almost as much as she despised first-years and their annoyingly stupid questions.

Over her six years in Hogwarts, Mal had managed to create quite a reputation for herself. She was fierce, cunning and ruthless, a true Slytherin leader. She'd obtained the highest record for detentions in one year and still managed to uphold the perfect grades, along with her own personal studies in magic. Although she may have a heart of ice, she had a soft spot for her friends. She had exactly three close confidants, each one from a different house, yet all united by one thing; being wicked.

Evie was her one and only female friend, one of the smartest Ravenclaws in her year. She was beautiful and had an affinity for potions, yet held a fire within her that would make any Gryffindor cower in fear. Ravenclaws and Slytherins were known to be allies, so no one was surprised when the two girls were seen spending copious amount of time together.

Jay was the beater of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, as well as the son of one of Maleficent's closest confidants. He was in Gryffindor for one simple reason; bravery. He wasn't afraid to be judged or shunned, so no one dared question him when he became friends with the two wicked girls. He was nearly as ruthless as Mal, yet definitely appreciated teamwork more than she had the capability to.

Carlos was the final member of their little group. Being a Hufflepuff, Mal was quite skeptical of him at first. However, he showed his truly wicked side when he landed detention with Mal for a week, having made the Care for Magical Creatures teacher cry within his first week in Hogwarts. He was rotten to the core, yet the most loyal person Mal had ever met.

Together, they made an unstoppable team. No one dared touch them or get in their way, too afraid to even go near the children of such dangerous criminals. And although she enjoyed spending time with her fellow villains, she still hated the first day of school.

With a groan, she slipped out of bed half an hour after everyone in her dorm had left. They may have been Slytherin, but Mal never found anything in common with the girls in her dorm. They were more interested in beauty and boys, two things Mal didn't tend to worry about. Ever.

Only half an hour after waking up, Mal made her way into the Great Hall for breakfast. Food at Hogwarts was probably the only thing Mal enjoyed about school. Without her mother at home, Mal had been resigned to living in an orphanage, a secret she kept under locks to everyone. This meant that she often didn't get given large meals, and so she tried to make the most out of any and every meal at Hogwarts.

People parted as Mal strut into the hall, some even cowering in fear. The first years had already been warned about people like Mal, so she wasn't surprised when some of them literally hid behind the elder students when they spotted her. She didn't pay attention to the students murmuring about her, because to her it was like air; necessary. She knew that rumours circled the school about her, and quite frankly, she didn't care. She knew that to be a true villain you had to have a stack of sins, and hers was growing by the minute.

She took her seat at the Slytherin table, between two other sixth-year girls, and immediately started putting food onto her plate. She ignored how the two girls moved away from her, concentrating on what kind of cereal she wanted instead.

"The chocolate ones," Evie supplied simply as she slipped next to Mal, book clutched tightly to her chest, "Definitely the chocolate ones."

"Well good morning to you too," Mal replied, taking a bowl of said cereal for herself, "Deciding to join the snakes on this fine breakfast feast?"

"Something like that," Evie replied simply, taking a bowl of cereal for herself, "The Ravenclaw first years are proving to be a lot more irritating than expected. I nearly didn't get enough beauty sleep last night because of all the homesick ones!"

It wasn't uncommon for Evie to sit with the Slytherins for meals, nor was it uncommon to see all four of their little group sat together on one of the house tables. Evie was the most social out of their group, also known for being a heartbreaker between the elder students. She cared for her looks more than she'd like to admit, a trait inherited from her mother, and not-so-secretly wanted to find herself the perfect prince charming.

"Oh look, the royalty is here," Evie muttered sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she spotted a familiar group of people walking into the hall.

The first of these was Chad, otherwise nicknamed as 'Charming'. Despite what many of his fangirls said, he was definetly not the charming type. Although he was a Slytherin, Mal despised spending a single moment around him. He was disgustingly rich, thanks to his father who worked in the Ministry, and even more disgustingly egocentric, always looking for gullible girls to do his bidding (usually homework). Even Evie once fell prey to the Charming, but that incident was forbidden to talk about.

Next was Audrey, the perfect pink princess. She was a Hufflepuff prefect, as well as girlfriend to the Gryffindor Quidditch team captain. She was deemed as perfect in every way, with her perfectly styled hair and immaculately worn uniform, and with a celebrity mother, she was definetly one of the prized students in Hogwarts.

She was also Mal's arch nemesis.

Maleficent, in her early years of evil, had cast a spell on Audrey's parents, one so evil that many didn't even dare to repeat. Ever since their first year, Mal and Audrey avoided and hated each other, and it was no secret. In fact, Mal took great glee in her first few years at Hogwarts in pranking Audrey and her housemates, but that soon became old she realised Audrey would never strike back.

And finally was Ben, the true prince of the school. Being Audrey's boyfriend, captain of the Gryffindor team _and_ having his parents run the Ministry, he was the true celebrity of the school. He was ' _perfection in a nutshell_ ' according to the vast majority of the school population, with his perfectly styled hair and his glistening blue eyes.

He was everything Mal was not, and for that, Mal hated him.

"Wonder when they'll get matching crowns," Mal joked, causing Evie to snicker next to her. However, this didn't go unnoticed by Ben, who instantly turned to look at the Slytherin table.

His eyes met Mal's, and something softened within them. It was as if he was recalling an old friend, or seeing a cute animal. However, Mal kept her gaze hard as stone, turning her head around with her nose held high, breaking the eye contact. Sure, she may have shared a conversation or two with him in her first year, but that was before she knew what harsh reality felt like.

"Miss Maleficent, a word please," Headmistress Godmother asked as she made her way down the table, stopping briefly to speak to Mal.

Evie raised her eyebrows in question, but Mal just shrugged. Not wanting to get the Headmistress irritated on the first day, Mal slipped out of her seat and followed her.

Headmistress Godmother lead Mal into the trophy room, a room adjacent to the hall, just behind the professors table. She followed the Headmistress down the small set of steps and into the main room, hearing the heavy wooden door close behind them.

Headmistress Godmother was known to be rather... Extravagant, for lack of better words. She was definetly against the Resistance, however she treated Mal and her friends like ordinary students, something Mal sometimes resented her for. Nevertheless, with her quirky purple robes and always sparkling wand, Headmistress Godmother was one of the finest headmasters Hogwarts had ever seen.

"Please, take a seat," Headmistress Godmother instructed, motioning to the set of recliners in the room, positioned on either side of a coffee table, a trophy sat upon it, "Do you have any idea why I have called you into this room?"

"Not really. After all these years, I sort of just go with it," Mal replied as she took a seat on the one closest to the door, fully prepared to run out of the room if this was a ploy to get her arrested. She wasn't an idiot. She'd heard the rumours from Azkaban, that the villains were planning to escape. She'd noticed the Aurors outside the orphanage during the summer, and the fact that she'd been let out less often than she would've liked.

"As you may or may not know, this is a very important year for you," Headmistress Godmother began as she took her seat, "You had excellent results in your exams last year, and so I'm sure you'll find no trouble in this years classes. However, there are a few events this year that I wanted to discuss with you. One of them being the Triwizard Tournament. The official announcement will be tonight at dinner. However, there was one thing I wanted to show you."

Headmistress Godmother daintily picked up the trophy, holding it to Mal. Carefully, Mal took the trophy into her hands, feeling her heartbeat stop as she read the inscription.

"Your mother was a Hogwarts champion once," the Headmistress explained, "The best I ever had the pleasure to see actually. She conquered each challenge with the grace and ability any witch should hope to possess."

"Why are you showing me this?" Mal asked quietly, swallowing as she rubbed her thumb over her mothers name.

"Because Mal, I know you're a smart girl," Headmistress Godmother explained, leaning in before continuing quietly, "Bad things are coming, and you need to be warned. There's reason to believe that you and your friends will be the target of this event, and so, I need you to promise me that you'll be careful. For your mothers sake."

* * *

The Triwizard announcement went as expected that night; chaotically. People cheered and shouted in glee, a couple even starting a food fight. The two other chosen schools were yet to arrive or be announced, however it was promised that they'd be attending Hogwarts by the end of the week.

There were certain limitations put on the tournament to ensure the safety of any participants. Anyone wishing to put their name in the Goblet of Fire had to be over the age of 16, an age line being cast on the Goblet to ensure this. The Ministry had to approve of any and every task given to the participants, and the participants would be permitted to leave a task at any given moment. The Goblet would be placed in the hall starting the next day for the rest of the week, meaning that whoever may have wanted to participate now could.

Jay was, of course, over the moon. He loved anything daring and dangerous, already having written his name in parchment ready to put in the Goblet. Evie was delighted to hear that there were other schools coming, and Carlos was positively terrified. Mal, however, was a bag of mixed emotions.

"Are you going to put your name in the Goblet?" Evie asked Mal as they all left the hall together, "It would be pretty cool if one of us was in the tournament."

"I don't know," Mal lied, "I don't think I could waste time with that."

In all reality, Mal had already made her mind up. She'd made her mind up the moment she'd seen her mothers name on the trophy, and she'd already made her mind up as she scrawled down her name on a parchment and tucked it under her pillow in her room.

She was going to compete, and she was going to win. To finally make her mother proud.


	3. 2: The Goblet

The next day began with Mal's favourite class: potions. Being now at N.E.W.T-level classes, all classes were now mixed between houses, meaning that her and Evie were, thankfully, in the same class.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Evie whispered excitedly as they entered the classroom, taking a desk in the corner of the front row, "We haven't shared a potions class since third year!"

"Disadvantages of being in different houses," Mal winked, seating herself on one of the two stools, "But I'm sure this class will be a breeze for you."

"Oh, I don't know," Evie replied, thumping her tall stack of annotated textbooks onto the desk, "We'll see."

Students began flooding in after that, only a few having already been in the class. Potions hadn't been a popular subject that year, meaning the class only consisted of fifteen students at the most. Mal spotted Ben walking into the room from the corner of her eye, accompanied by a stuttering Ravenclaw by the name of Doug, who coincidentally was known for having a crush on Evie.

"Loverboy at nine-o'clock," Mal whispered teasingly, earning a glare from Mal once she'd spotted Doug. For some reason, the pair of boys had decided to take the desk right next to theirs.

"It's fate," Mal continued with a wink, Evie shoving her playfully.

Although Evie was definetly more passionate in potions, Mal enjoyed the subject thoroughly. She loved the danger that came with messing up ingredients, and the power that came with getting them right. Her mother had always pushed her to learn how to brew potions from a young age, and it had quickly become something almost soothing for her.

"Goodmorning class," the Professor announced as he strode into the room, "For those of you who do not know me: my name is Jim Hawkins, but you can all call me Professor Hawkins. I will be your potions teacher for this year."

"Yippie," Mal muttered, already having a distaste for Professor Hawkins from previous years.

"Lets start off simple," the Professor continued, "Can anyone tell me what the Baneberry Potion is?"

Immediately, Evie's hand shot up, as well as a few Ravenclaws.

"Ah, Miss La Verne*," the Professor picked as he reluctantly turned to Evie, "It's a... Pleasure, to have you in my class once again. Tell me, what _is_ a Baneberry Potion?"

"It's an uncommon poison that tends to harm animals more than wizards," Evie explained expertly, and before she could stop herself, she added, "My mother brew it a few times for Cruella De Vil."

The classroom became silent instantly, so much so that Mal was sure she could have heard a pin drop. Instead, she concentrated on muffling her laughs as she took in her Professors shocked expression.

"Er, well done Miss La Verne, but perhaps spare us the details next time," the Professor continued, "Now, does anyone know what Bloodroot Potion and a Baneberry Potion have in common?"

"They're both poisons," Mal replied, not bothering to raise her hand, "Both with similar effects, such as severe blood-loss through the eyeballs, green skin, dislodged-"

"That's quite enough!" the Professor quickly interrupted, "Thank you Malefice- I mean, Miss Maleficent. Now, onto the next topic..."

* * *

Mal's last class of the day happened to be Transfigurations, an extra class that she had yet to tell her friends about. In all honesty, she was a little nervous for the class. Headmistress Godmother had taken it upon herself to teach the class, and therefore the standards had instantly skyrocketed.

Mal had always wanted to learn the art of Transfigurations, just like her mother had pushed her to. Maleficent had acquired the skill of being an Animagus early on in her life, however Mal herself had yet to learn it. She'd spent her life ready any textbook or piece of information on it, and this year, she had the chance to appeal to be taught the skill by Headmistress Godmother herself.

The classroom was mostly empty by the time Mal arrived, save for one or two Ravenclaws. She decided to take a seat closer to the front, wanting to learn as much as possible in as short as time possible. She sat down quietly, ignoring the whispers between the two Ravenclaws as she pulled out her textbooks and parchment.

The door behind her opened, a couple more students walking in. However, Mal was too busy picking at her nails to acknowledge Jay sitting next to her. It was only when he put his feet on the table that Mal turned to him.

"Put your name in the Goblet yet?" She asked, eyeing the wand in Jay's shoe.

"Not yet, you?" Jay asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Who says I'm putting my name in?"

"Mal, please," Jay began as he rolled his eyes, "I've known you for years. You're definetly considering putting your name in. Actually, I bet you've already got it written down."

"Even if I put my name in, I doubt I'd get picked," Mal replied, feeling the parchment with her name on it in her robe pocket.

"Sure," Jay replied sarcastically, but before she could protest any longer, Headmistress Godmother entered the classroom, ready to teach.

* * *

The Goblet Of Fire stood tall and proud in the middle of the Great Hall. As promised, an age line had been placed around the goblet. However, that didn't stop the younger years from watching the sixth and seventh years throwing their names in the goblet.

"I'm going to do it," Jay announced immediately as the four walked into the hall, "Wish me luck!"

"Jay, wait!" Carlos tried, but Jay was already running towards the goblet.

"Just let him do it," Mal said at the trio seated themselves on a nearby table, "We wouldn't be able to change his mind anyway."

The trio watched as Jay ran to the Goblet, the parchment paper gripped tightly in his hand. The room quieted down slightly as they watched the Gryffindor beater drop his name in the cup, a few oblivious first-years cheering for their fellow housemate. Jay grinned to himself, strutting back to his friends.

"Think they'll put their names in?" Carlos asked, motioning over to Ben and Audrey as they entered the hall.

"No chance in hell," Mal replied, "Neither of them are brave enough to do it."

"Well I don't see you doing it either."

Mal turned around to find Chad sat behind them, glaring at Mal.

"Excuse me?" Mal asked, already feeling annoyance boiling inside her.

"You heard me," Chad replied loudly, catching the attention of nearby students, "Because you see, I think you four are all talk and no action. So, Mal, if you're really as bad as you say, put your name in the Goblet of Fire."

Most of the hall was now listening at the exchange between the two Slytherins. Mal glared at Chad fiercely, a special type of anger reserved for that boy.

"Mal you don't have to do it," Evie whispered gently, "Just ignore him."

"Fine," Mal replied, ignoring Evie as she stood up, "I'll do it."

Mal spun around and began walking towards the goblet, ignoring the stares of everyone around her. She swiftly walked past Ben and his girlfriend as she crossed over the age line, feeling the parchment with her name on it in her pocket. She could feel the tension in the room rise as she pulled out the parchment, a moment passing before she finally put her name in.

The goblet blazed, just like it had for Jay, but no one cheered. Instead, they looked scared. Mal swiftly made her way over to her friends and Chad, picking her bag up.

"Just to clarify," Mal continued, leaning closer to Chad, "I'm not afraid of _anything_."

And with that, Mal left the room.

* * *

"You're a madwoman!" Evie exclaimed as she entered the Slytherin girls dorm, "What are you doing?"

"I'm cold," Mal muttered, wrapping herself tighter in the duvet, "I can't be bothered to put the wood stove on."

Evie rolled her eyes, "Either way, why on earth would you put your name in there? Do you have a deathwish?!"

"Arguably," Mal replied, "But others tend to call it 'spontaneously disastrous creativity'. It's a real problem of mine y'know."

"My best friend is going to die," Evie concluded, falling back onto Mal's bed dramatically.

"It's not like I'll get picked or anything, so just relax," Mal soothed, "Besides, the chances of me getting picked? Highly unlikely. Why didn't you shout at Jay like you're shouting at me now?"

"I'm not shouting," Evie replied quickly, composing herself, "And trust me, I did, but you know Jay. _Nothing_ can persuade him."

"And nothing will persuade me either," Mal said determinedly, "I doubt I'll get picked for the tournament. But if I do, you bet I'm going to win."

* * *

 _*La Verne, said to be the Evil Queen's second name._


	4. 4: The Triwizard Champions

Mal stirred her soggy cereal boredly as Evie sat across from her on the Slytherin table, finishing off her essay. She'd been receiving stares all morning due to the whole goblet incident, but what was irritating was that people thought it would be better to whisper about her than say things to her face.

"I wish they'd just shut up," Mal grumbled as she glared at two Hufflepuff girls gossiping.

"Frowning gives you wrinkles," Evie sing-songed as she finished off her essay, "It'll die down when you don't get picked for the tournament."

"Who says I won't get picked?"

"Who says you will?"

Mal glared at Evie, shoving a spoonful of cereal in her mouth. Before the two of them could argue any further, Headmistress Godmother stood up from the teachers table and took her place at the podium, holding her wand up and sending out gentle white sparks to gather everyone's attention.

"Goodmorning everyone," She began with a smile as she put her wand down, "As you all know, the Triwizard Tournament is slowly creeping up upon us. This morning, we have the pleasure to announce the two schools who we will be competing against. First of all, I'd like to welcome the students from Durmstrang Institute and their headmaster Doctor Facilier, all the way from Scandinavia."

The doors to the main hall burst open, a crowd of Durmstrang students marching in, all banging their staffs on the floor in synchronicity. Evie rolled her eyes at their brute entrance, however Mal was instantly interested. She knew all about the strange reputation Durmstrang had acquired over the years, the rumours of the headmaster teaching dark arts.

Sparks of fire flew from the floor as the boys hit their staffs on the floor, a couple of girls following suit at the back of the group. They all wore the same stone-cold expression and suede brown uniforms, completely focused on marching and their intricate choreography.

Mal watched with interest as they reached the front of the room, creating fire dragons and various different magical effects. However, her focus then turned to their headmaster, Doctor Facilier, as he walked in.

Doctor Facilier held a dubiously dark reputation, with his bizarre sense of style and even more bizarre beliefs. It was rumoured that he supported Maleficent during her reign, however it had never been confirmed or denied. There had also been rumours that he'd dabble in dark arts and had decided to teach it in his institute, but seeing as there was very little known about Durmstrang, that too was never confirmed or denied.

The students of Durmstrang finished their little performance just as Doctor Facilier shook hands with Headmistress Godmother, a slightly wary look on her face. Nevertheless, the Durmstrang boys and their headmaster took their place on the side of the hall, Headmistress Godmother returning to her podium.

"And now, let's give a warm welcome to the students of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic!"

The doors opened once again. However, instead of a loud and brute performance, the students glided in with poise and grace. They curtsied to the two tabled on either side of them before springing into an elegant skip, curtsying to Headmistress Godmother as dozens of tiny blue birds sprung from their uniform.

"A non-verbal wandless Avis charm!" Evie gasped quietly as she watched the birds fly around the room, "Incredible!"

Mal paid little to no attention to the performance in front of her. She'd heard about the perfect French school from her mother, the headmistress being none other than Ella Cendrillon (known as Cinderella to fans), who'd won an award for kindness earlier that year.

Cinderella herself stepped into the hall with poise and elegance, the blue birds circling her. She warmly hugged Headmistress Godmother before following her students to the side of the hall, allowing Headmistress Godmother to continue her speech.

"A warm welcome to both our European friends," Headmistress Godmother continued, "Ravenclaw will be housing our Beauxbatons students and Slytherin will be housing our Durmstrang students. This is a wonderful start to what I'm sure will be an even more wonderful year here at Hogwarts!"

* * *

It was a few days after the other competing schools had arrived, meaning there were only an hour left before the Triwizard Champions were announced. Mal was laying on the Slytherin common room floor next to the fire, tossing a small ball up and down in the air. She wasn't worried about being picked for the tournament, nor was she worried for Jay. She knew they could both win the tournament if they tried, or if they wanted to try.

"I don't understand why you always lie there," Uma, a fellow sixth-year Slytherin, commented from her seat on a nearby couch, "You don't absorb any heat anyway."

It was true. Mal was notorious for always having cold skin, which she liked to think was due to her stone-cold heart. However, she liked to lie by the fire because it reminded her of her own home with its own tall fireplaces and roaring fires, but she would never admit that out loud. Instead, she shrugged, catching the ball and sitting up slightly.

"I could ask you the same question," Mal retorted, "You always sit in the same spot and snap at anyone who tries to sit there."

"It has a nice view of the lake," Uma shrugged, looking out of one of the glass windows out into the lake.

The Slytherin commons were definetly one of the coldest places in the school. Apart from being in the dungeons of the school, it also sat below the Great Lake, meaning that the windows served as portholes into the lake. The common room was a long and low room, only illuminated by the sun streaming through the lake, the green lanterns that decorated the walls and the roaring fire. Everything was either dark green or silver, including the couches and chairs. Usually, the common room was filled with students, however most had decided to watch as the last students put their names in the Goblet of Fire.

Mal loved the common room. It's dark corners and cracked stone floors would make most people turn in fear, but Mal had grown to find those things inviting. She'd seen herself grow up in this common room, from when Clause Frollo asked her out in her first year to just the other week, where she'd stolen a Gryffindor banner and hung it on the dart board.

The dormitories were another story completely. Mal hated having to share a dormitory with the girls in her year. They'd gush about boys and clothes constantly, but when they were gone, Mal loved to play pranks on them. In fact, she made a mental note to double check the springers she'd hidden under their beds would work.

"In Durmstrang, we don't have fireplaces," a Durmstrang girl sat on the opposite couch supplied, "We brave the cold like warriors."

"I like that," Mal pointed out to Uma.

"I thought Durmstrang was a boys school," Uma asked as she looked the girl up and down.

"It's not, but not many girls wanted to come... Here," the girl finished, looking at the damp floor in disgust.

"She's snarky," Mal grinned as she sat crossed-legged, "I like that."

"You're Maleficent's daughter?" the girl asked, "I heard you put your name in the Goblet."

"She's very impulsive," Uma added, "It's not the first time she's done something stupid."

"And it won't be the last," Mal grinned, at which Uma rolled her eyes.

"Hey Peony, who are your friends?"

A brunette Durmstrang boy walked over to the small group and sat down next to the Durmstrang girl, Peony as he'd called her. He had a sharp jaw and chiseled cheekbones, sporting the same serious gaze the other Durmstrang students had. He emanated confidence and authority, something Mal was intrigued with.

"And you are?" Uma flared, however Mal saw a certain softness in her eyes she hadn't seen before.

"Harry Hook," the boy introduced himself, "And this here is my little sister Peony."

"Charmed," Peony drawled, crossing her arms with a glare.

"I'm Uma," Uma continued, "And this is-"

"Bored," Mal announced as she stood up, "I'm _very_ bored. So, if you don't mind, I'll be off terrorising the house elves into making me a cake."

Mal walked out of the common room stubbornly. Maleficent's daughter did not make friends. Evie, Carlos and Jay had been exceptions considering they were too raised by evil, and Uma was just an acquaintance she'd passed her time with in Slytherin, but Mal was not into the formalities of new friendships.

Instead, she decided to head down to the Great Hall early for the Tournament Champions announcement. She knew Evie, Carlos and Jay were already there, however she didn't expect the hoard of people she was met with.

Nearly everyone in the school was in the hall, all anxiously awaiting the results. Mal spotted Carlos' stark white hair in the crowd easily, where her friends were all sat on one of the sets of wooden bleachers positioned on the left side of the hall. She made her way towards them, pushing people out of the way until she found the trio sat at the top of the first set of bleachers, Jay sat anxiously bouncing his leg up and down.

"Is he alright?" Mal asked as she sat down next to Evie.

"I'm fine," Jay snapped, "Just excited, that's all."

"Liar," Evie muttered, "I told you guys this was a bad idea."

"I'm perfectly confident actually," Mal said as she leant back, "I mean, what are the odds that me or Jay are selected realistically?"

"That's true," Carlos pointed out, "At least fifty students from Hogwarts put their names in the Goblet, not counting the ones who put more than one down."

"See? Nothing to worry about," Mal concluded, however before Evie could argue further, Headmistress Godmother glided through the doors of the Great Hall and towards the Goblet, the hall falling in silence at the sight.

Other professors began coming in and sitting at the professors table, including the headmasters of the two visiting schools. Mal spotted Uma and Harry walking into the hall chatting animatedly, whilst Peony walked behind them, glaring fiercely at Uma. She then also spotted none other than Doctor Facilier walking behind them, staring at Mal intently.

Mal shrugged the man off, turning back to face the Goblet.

"The moment you've all been waiting for!" Headmistress Godmother began, "Now, the Goblet will select three champions to compete!"

Everyone watched with excitement as Headmistress Godmother dimmed the lights in the room. The Goblet was shining brightly, blue flames gently radiating a peaceful glow. Headmistress Godmother held her hands up to the Goblet, the flames suddenly turning from a gentle blue to a searing red. Suddenly, a small piece of parchment flew out of the flames, the first champion having been selected.

"The Durmstrang Champion is... Harry Hook!"

Harry immediately stood from his seat at the Slytherin table as people cheered for him loudly, making his way towards the Goblet. Durmstrang students congratulated him warmly as he passed, shaking his hand and clapping him on the back. Once he reached the Headmistress, he shook her hand with a grin on his face before making his way to the Trophy room.

The hall quieted down as Headmistress Godmother prepared to announce the next champion. At this point, Mal too was on the edge of her seat, both for herself and Jay.

Another piece of parchment fluttered out of the Goblet into Headmistress Godmother's hands. She carefully folded the parchment out before announcing the next champion.

"The Beauxbatons Champion is... Angela Darling!"

A pretty blonde girl stood from the Ravenclaw table, a look of superiority plastered on her face. She graciously took the congratulations from her friends before shaking Headmistress Godmother's hand warmly, basking in everyone's cheers. Mal rolled her eyes as she watched the girl glide her way to the trophy room, smirking at some boys watching her.

"She already _looks_ irritating," Mal mumbled just before the hall fell into silence again.

Everyone held their breath as the third and final piece of parchment flew out of the Goblet. The group of villains watched in anxiousness as Headmistress Godmother unraveled the parchment, reading off the final Champion.

"And the Hogwarts Triwizard Champion is... _Mal Maleficent_."

The room was completely silent. No one dared to clap or cheer as Mal stood up. She felt numb, completely numb as she made her way towards the Goblet and the Headmistress. She barely registered the shock on her friends faces or Doctor Facilier's grin, instead focusing on walking towards the Goblet.

Mal shook the Headmistresses hand tightly, ignoring her pained expression before making her way to the trophy room.

It was going to be a long year.


	5. 5: Plants

"You're an idiot!"

"You've mentioned."

"I can't believe my best friend is going to be killed!"

"Thanks for the support E."

"You're an idiot _and_ you're going to get yourself killed!"

"Again, you've mentioned."

The two girls continued bickering as they walked towards the Great Hall, the day after the Triwizard Champions had been selected. Of course, no one had been thrilled that the daughter of a Villain was going to represent Hogwarts in the tournament, but quite frankly, Mal didn't care. She was going to compete and she was going to win.

After they had been selected, Mal and the other two champions had each been given a clue for the first task. Each champion had been given a black box, about the size of a shoebox, and were sent on their way. The first task was a month away, so she wasn't in a rush to open the box. In fact, the moment she'd gotten back into the dormitory, she'd stashed the box under her bed without a second glance.

"Listen E," Mal began as she stopped her best friend outside the large doors of the hall, "I understand you're worried-"

"Worried?!" Evie began, "I'm freaking out! Do you know what they make people do in these tournaments?!"

"Yes, yes, I'm very aware of the dragons," Mal rolled her eyes, "But I'll be _fine_. You know me, I always pull through."

"Yes, but you've never been involved in something so dangerous!" Evie argued, "Do you remember that Hufflepuff guy that died all those years back? Just please, _please_ pull out of the tournament."

"I couldn't even if I wanted to. Once you get picked from the Goblet, you're in a binding magical contract. I _have_ to compete," Mal explained as they began walking into the hall, "Which is why I'm going to need your help."

"My help?" Evie asked in confusion.

"Evie, you're the smartest witch I know," Mal explained as they paused in front of the Ravenclaw table, "Meet me in the library after Potions, and bring the other two."

"You're a mad woman," Evie sighed as she shook her head, walking away to sit at the Ravenclaw table.

Mal made her way over to her own houses table, however, something was different. People weren't looking at her in complete fear. In fact, they were looking at her with... Pride? Yes, Mal decided it was pride, but she couldn't decide if she liked it or not. Nevertheless, she took her usual spot at the table, Uma on her left.

"Looks like you've become quite the celebrity," Uma mused as she poured herself a bowl of cereal, "In fact, I think that first-year nearly wet himself when he saw you."

"And all because of the stupid tournament," Mal joked, pouring a glass of orange juice for herself.

"You know, I heard a couple of girls place bets on you earlier," Uma began as she swallowed her first spoonful of cereal, "One of them said you wouldn't last ten minutes, but the other one bet five."

"I'm assuming one of them was a Gryffindor then?" Mal replied snidely, causing a couple of Slytherins around them to laugh, "But seriously Uma, I've got this tournament in the bag."

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you," Uma commented as she shoveled more cereal into her mouth, "I've heard about the previous tournament, and it _really_ isn't pretty to watch, let alone be in."

Mal rolled her eyes at Uma, yet secretly, she was worried. She was worried both for her safety and her mothers honour. She was going to win, she _had_ to win, because she knew her mother would never face her again otherwise.

* * *

Jay hopped down the Gryffindor dormitory steps with his usual mischievous grin on his face. Not only had he just landed himself a date with an upperclass Hufflepuff, but he'd just finished his homework for the week, meaning he was free for the rest of the day to do whatever he-

"Jay!" A nasally third year shouted from the entrance of the common room, "A girl called Evie said she needs you to meet her in the library now!"

"For the love of...," Jay muttered to himself as he reached the bottom of the staircase leading into the common room.

"Hey Jay," Ben called from his place on one of the couches, sitting up at the sight of his classmate, "Did you take Advanced Herbology? I'm stuck on this one question for the homework and-"

"Nope," Jay replied quickly, making his way to the exit of the common room, "Gotta go. Apparently a Ravenclaws after me."

And with that, he was off.

* * *

"Evie, this better be important," Jay whispered once he found his friends in the library, tucked away in the farthest nook.

"It's for the tournament," Evie explained, sitting on the desk with Mal and crossing her legs, "C'mon Mal, open the box."

"You know I haven't even opened it myself right?" Mal asked as she nervously fiddled with the black box in her hands, "It could explode for all I know."

"Explode?" Carlos asked worriedly, standing up from his chair. He was quickly shushed by Evie as she pushed him back onto the chair.

"Just open it M," Evie encouraged, "Before he loses his mind."

Mal took a deep breath, looking at the box on her lap. It wasn't heavy nor light, probably hexed to disguise whatever was inside. With a final push, Mal opened the box.

An unrecognisable smell wafted out of the box, making the four friends cringe. It was then followed by a series of different plants and flowers growing out of the box and towards them, however, before any could touch the four, they turned black and burnt, vanishing just a few seconds later. The box shut itself just as the final plant burnt away.

"Right," Jay began, "Please tell me I'm not the only one considering forest fires being the first task right now."

"Told you I had it in the bag," Mal joked.

"Guys, don't you get it?" Evie exclaimed, "It's poisonous plants!"

"But how could they make a challenge out of those? And it also doesn't explain the smell," Carlos pointed out.

"Some plants emit toxic gasses," Evie explained, already ruffling through the nearby books, "Please tell me one of you took advanced Herbology?"

"You didn't?" Carlos teased.

"I had too many classes already," Evie mumbled to herself, "Someone find me the newest and oldest edition of _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ , and also any other Herbology books you can find."

"It'll take us far too long to go through all the text books," Mal added, "We need someone who's taken Advanced Herbology to help us with the plants, and then we're going to need to figure out what the task will be."

"I know someone," Jay grinned slyly, "But you're not going to like it."

* * *

The next day, Mal found herself standing outside the Great Hall just as dinner started. Not only was she worried about the task, but she was also regretting letting Jay talk her into this.

"This is going to look really strange," Mal commented as Jay lead her into the hall and towards his table, "Like, people in my house will actually start questioning my sanity."

"Relax," Jay laughed, "We may be lions but we don't bite."

"Yes, but-"

"Ben!" Jay exclaimed as they neared the furthest end of the table, "We were just looking for you!"

"For me?" Ben asked after he swallowed his piece of turkey.

"We kind of need your help," Jay explained, " _Urgently_."

"Uh, sure. One second," Ben replied awkwardly, a small smile on his face. He quickly bid his shell-shocked Gryffindor friends goodbye before standing up, following the two villain kids to the exit.

* * *

"So you're good at Herbology, right?" Mal asked once the three of them were sat in the Gryffindor common room.

"Um, you really shouldn't be in-"

"It's fine," Jay reassured, "The paintings won't tell."

"Yes we will," a lady in a painting sing-songed, earning a glare from Mal.

"Listen, we need you to tell us what kinds of plants are in here," Mal explained as she pulled out the black box from her school satchel.

"Her life kind of depends on it," Jay added, "Like, seriously."

"Alright, I'll try my best," Ben smiled, Mal rolling her eyes at his sickeningly-sweet act.

Mal opened the box for him, preparing herself for the odor that had already began wafting out of the box. However, Ben didn't seem phased by it, and instead looked at the plants with great interest.

"So?" Mal asked impatiently as the box closed once again.

"Well, I definetly saw some Venomous Tentacula and Devil's Snare in there, so I'm going to guess the rest of them are either poisonous or dangerous," Ben explained, "Is this the first task for the Tournament?"

"Also my last if it involves plants," Mal groaned, leaning back in defeat, "I nearly failed Herbology in second year! How on earth do they expect me to do anything related with plants?"

"Well, thanks Ben," Jay began as he stood up, "I'll be taking Mal back to her room now so she can freak out in private."

Ben didn't know what made him do it. They were the children of some of the most famous villains of all time, and he was the poster child for goodness, yet he didn't see them as evil. He saw them as misunderstood, forced to follow in their parents footsteps.

"Wait!" Ben called, stopping them just as they were about to exit the room, "I can help, if you want."

"Excuse me?" Mal asked in shock.

"I mean, I'm alright at Herbology, and you're going to need all the help you can get for the Tournament," Ben explained nervously.

Mal stood in silence for a minute, her eyes boring into Ben's. Finally, she turned to Jay.

"Can you give us a minute?" She asked, at which Jay nodded. He swiftly left the room, leaving the hero and the villain alone.

"What's your angle here?" Mal demanded.

Ben looked at her intently, not with judgement but with curiosity. He noticed how her demeanor had changed, how she was now rigid and cold, a fiery look in her eyes yet still astonishingly cold.

"What do you mean?" Ben asked in confusion, standing up to meet Mal's gaze.

"Oh, please," Mal scoffed, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms, "You want to get something out of this, don't you?"

"Yes, the Triwizard Cup for the school," Ben tried to logic with her, "Also, I don't think many people would be happy if you ended up poisoning yourself during the tournament."

"Thats debatable," Mal muttered to herself.

"Please, just let me help you?" Ben asked again, ignoring her last comment, "It's just Herbology. I'll help you with this task and then you can never talk to me again."

Mal pursed her lips, considering her options. She sighed finally, giving in.

"Fine," She began, "Meet me in the library after lessons on Monday. We can start then."

Ben smiled warmly at her. However, before he could see her own expression, Mal had left the room.


End file.
